Rags To Royals (Royal #1: Book 1) | ✔

13

I frown.

"Don't just stand. Show me."

I let out a loud breath and bring my hands to my front, interlacing them.

"Tsk," she steps closer and touches the tip of my elbows, spreading them farther from my waist, and at the same time, elevating them unnaturally. "This is the minimum distance you must hold from your waist to your elbow. The same as the length of your shoulders."

I nod.

"And your fingers," she unlatches my hands. "If you clutch them so tightly, it gives out a wrong message. You've to appear confident and graceful. Treat yourself like you're fragile, and so is every inch of you." She lays my right hand on top of my left, my thumbs interlocked. She even leans in to lift my pinky slightly into the air. "There you go," she smiles and steps back, eying her personally styled mannequin. "Perfect,"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Now walk around for me from this end to that end a few times. I'll finish my tea until then." She says and sits down on her chair.

I face the other end of the hall, struggling to hold my posture as I start to walk.

"Slowly," she comments suddenly. "You're not participating in some kind of race,"

I clench my jaw and slow down. Turning my head slightly, I nod at the maid to follow me. She scurries to walk along with me.

"Where are my brothers?" I ask her in a hiss.

"Your neck, keep it straight. Don't tilt it if not to bow in respect or to nod as a response."

I look straight ahead but my ears stay trained on the maid.

"I don't know, Princess. Should I go and check?"

"Yes." I tell her.

Just as she nods and takes a step in the direction of the doors, they open and outside stand my four half brothers. My brows shoot up in surprise and I halt my ramp-walk. They really came.

"Ah, the princes are here!" I hear Mrs. Dodiya announce in the most feminine voice of hers. I can't help but scoff in disbelief. While talking to me, she used a tone that would even make a ghost want to die twice.

She rushes to where we stand, the two young girls follow her ardently.

All the four men enter the room and greet the woman politely. By their mannerisms and the flexibility in their tone while speaking, I guess they already know each other. My mood deflates even more. It's like I'm the only least favourite student here.

"So, Mrs. Dodiya, how's our little sis? Is she doing any good?" Agastya is the first to acknowledge my presence in the room and not for a good reason if I may say. I roll my eyes and look away. "I think she has a lot to learn, especially manners." He says out of spite.

"Oh, that she does." Mrs. Dodiya sighs regretfully. "My darling, if you could throw that chewing gum out, I might start considering you as a real princess, hmm?" She smiles sarcastically.

I clench my hand in fists and open my mouth to give her a piece of a mind for all the insults she has thrown at me when all of a sudden the maid comes to my side and shoves the tissue paper in my face. She shakes her head subtly, as though requesting me to not start an argument. I sigh and take the tissue from her, spitting out the chewing gum before crumpling it in my fist. I raise my hand as if to throw it at Mrs. Dodiya. She flinches. Holding back a snicker of amusement, I lower my hand gently and hand the tissue paper to the maid who shoves it inside her pocket given there's no dustbin here.